1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and in particular, to an assembly which permits two circuit members to be both mechanically and electrically connected during selective rotation of the circuit members, one with respect to the other.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The current and increasing reliance upon semi-conductor technology in the design and manufacture of complex electronic equipment has stimulated significant demand for electrical interconnection systems which permit such equipment to be both compact and easily maintained. Often, a modular approach to arrangement of constituant electronic components is desirable. For example, where the equipment requires the use of redundant components, modular circuitry subassemblies offer significant economies in both initial manufacture and replacement. These subassemblies may typically include a relatively rigid substrate, such as a printed circuit board, on which a plurality of circuit devices have been mounted and electrically interconnected. It is common practice to, in turn, mount the circuitry modules within a larger apparatus and electrically connect them to other components or modules.
In many such applications, it may be desirable to connect a pair of circuit boards together both mechanically and electrically. To this end, a variety of connector systems are available, such as that disclosed in Carter, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,8l5, wherein a so-called mother/daughter board interconnection arrangement is disclosed. A system of this type permits one circuit board to be used as a structural support for a plurality of other circuit board modules through the use of electrical connectors.
In other applications, it might be desirable to interconnect a pair of circuit boards such that they are movable, one with respect to another, yet remain electrically interconnected during such movement. Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous in the case of compact electronic equipment which requires occasional servicing. The circuit board modules may, thereby, be selectively repositioned and yet remain functional during a servicing operation. One such example of the foregoing arrangement is the hinged type connector disclosed in Corns, U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,005 issued Jan. 2, 1968, directed to a flexible jumper for connecting printed circuit boards. However, with the jumper approach, the printed circuit boards cannot be disconnected from one another without rigorous disassembly methods and, with aging, the jumpers are known to fail.
In another known arrangement, a pair of circuit boards may be electrically and mechanically coupled by utilization of a pair of mating terminals. For example, the connector shown by Katzin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,401 issued June 16, 1981, comprises a pair of plate-like terminals adapted to slide together and become electrically interengaging upon pivotable movement one with respect to the other. In practice, however, such a system can be undesirable because of the edge contact configuration utilized therein, which results in a high degree of attendant wear because of the high contact forces generated between the mating terminals. Moreover, the circuit boards may become accidentally disconnected if they are inadvertently rotated to the position at which the terminal members are meant to be separated.